Health bosses on alert for first measles death

Health bosses have admitted that a death from the measles outbreak in south
Wales is now a "very real concern" as the number of children with
the disease is expected to double to 1,400.

Health bosses believe the measles outbreak in south Wales is linked to low uptake of the MMR vaccinePhoto: ALAMY

By Claire Carter

10:36AM BST 14 Apr 2013

The outbreak of the disease started in Swansea in November, and is expected to spread across South Wales - where around 13,000 children are not believed to have been vaccinated.

Health bosses have also warned that children in England, Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also at risks because the number of children who have been vaccinated is not high enough to provide "herd immunity”, particularly as children return to school this week.

Speaking to the Sunday Times Meirion Evans, consultant epidemiologist at Public Health Wales said: "We have over 60 children who have been hospitalised with measles. Thankfully none of them have died but there is a real concern that that might happen."

The spread of the disease is believed to have started with the low take up of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine after former doctor Andrew Wakefield wrongly suggested in 1990 that it was linked to bowel disease and autism. This led to low confidence in the vaccine. Mr Evans added: "This is almost certainly a legacy of that health scare."

On Saturday almost 2,700 people were vaccinated at drop in clinics across south Wales, with some queuing for 90 minutes before vaccinations started.

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough and a rash but the disease can lead to complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, and in some cases death. The death rate is around one in every 5,000 patients and babies under one are particularly at risk.

Mr Evans added: “It’s not that we have to have an outbreak that is 5,000 cases big in order to have one [death].

“That’s why we are urging parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible because you cannot take the chance with measles.”

This weekend the total number of infected patients in Swansea reached 693.